Energy Drinks: Do They Really Give You
Wings?
By Steve Edwards
From the Team Beachbody Club - Join Today and Workout to
Win!
 Energy drinks have taken over the soft drink market in a
caffeine-fueled frenzy. To listen to their ad campaigns, you'd be sure that
this has everything to do with your health. Now instead of leaving the
convenience store with a gut bomb, you can grab a Monster can of Adrenaline
that promises to Redline your performance until you're partying like a
Rockstar. But do energy drinks really give you wings? Or are you more likely to
experience a fleeting glimpse of euphoria, only to come crashing down like
Icarus?
 Since Red Bull entered the U.S. market in 1997, energy drinks
have been chipping away at the soft drink and bottled water companies'
stranglehold. According to an article in The New York Times, energy
drinks have now surpassed bottled water as the fastest growing category of
beverages. This isn't to say that they're hurting the soda companies, because
pretty much everyone now makes an energy drink, from Hansen's to Steven Seagal.
Despite a slew of drinks with far more provocative names such as Who's Your
Daddy?, Cocaine, Whoopass, and Beaver Buzz, the industry leader is still Red
Bull with sales that are projected over $3 billion this year.
The where? And why?
Energy drinks have been around for
decades, particularly in Asia and mainly in Japan. They weren't soft drinks
like they are today. Instead, they were small vials of liquid promising to
promote performance. These vials were usually filled with caffeine, many herbs
containing caffeine, and some vitamins. Their target audience was businessmen,
to aid their long work schedules.
 Red Bull
took its name and certain ingredients from a Thai supplement. They watered it
down and added sugar so that it could be consumed as a soft drink, targeting
the under-30 crowd, and voilà, a new market was formed. Pretty
much everyone has jumped on the bandwagon. The more consumer-friendly varieties
tend to be larger and resemble soft drinks, but there are still some aimed at
more "sports-specific" audiences, like bodybuilders and ravers. These will
often come in a smaller package resembling the vials that you get overseas,
which are probably more suitable for those who want to feel as though they're
doing something illegal.
The what?
 So what's in the stuff that makes it so special and, even more
importantly, is it special? The ingredients vary, but there is one constant:
caffeine. No matter what any energy drink professes, its secret ingredient is
caffeine. Many contain various forms of caffeine, like guarana, yerba
maté, and tea, but caffeine is the business they're in. Everything else
is a side dish.
As an example, let's take a closer
look at Red Bull's active ingredients.
Sucrose, glucose.
Like most soft drinks, the number one ingredient, by far, is sugar (check out
this article for
"6
Foods with Hidden Sugar"). This is where all of the calories come from in a
Red Bull. Sugar provides an instant energy rush, but its effects are anything
but energizing after only a few minutes. A study conducted at the Sleep
Research Centre at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom exemplified
exactly the opposite of this instant energy-rush effect. The study showed that
a high-sugar and low-caffeine energy drink would promote sleepiness, not
energy.
"Energy drinks are a misnomer,"
reported Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, to HealthDay News.
"Sure, they provide energy in the form of calories, usually from some form of a
simple sugar, but simple sugars are digested, absorbed, and metabolized very
quickly, so the energy they contain doesn't last long."
 Sodium citrate. A food additive or preservative,
usually added because of its tart flavor. However, it's also alkaline and
inhibits blood clotting. Because it's an effective buffering agent, it may help
you utilize other nutrients better. A British study in 2003 also showed that it
improved running times. However, in this study, the amount used was 37 grams.
Since a Red Bull's only measurable ingredient is 27 grams of sugar (not
counting the water), it's unlikely that the amount of sodium citrate will add
any noticeable velocity to your wing speed.
Taurine. Originally
came from bull bile, which is where Red Bull got its name. Now it's synthesized
and, of all the ingredients in a Red Bull, the least understood. While it's
associated with many benefitsand some dangersvirtually nothing is proven other
than it being essential for your cat's health. In the energy drink world, some
studies showing that it could reduce muscle fatigue are the most promising.
Studies have concluded, however, that it is not an energy enhancer.
 Glucuronolactone. A naturally occurring chemical
compound produced by glucose metabolism in the liver. Because it was once
rumored (now disproved) to be linked with brain tumors during the Vietnam era,
it was not a popular ingredient, until Red Bull used it due to its reputation
for improving memory retention and concentration. Years later, there is still
no conclusive proof, but it's become a popular ingredient in energy drinks
across the board.
Caffeine. Now here's
the business. Caffeine is a plant alkaloid found in over 60 species of plants
such as guarana, kola nut, maté, tea, and, of course, coffee. Over
19,000 studies have been done on caffeine and most of them have been
positivethe truly dangerous conclusions drawn by some studies have yet to be
proven. The upside is so well known that there's no need to go into it.
Caffeine is now arguably more popular than ever and it's estimated that 90
percent of American adults consume it in some form. But this is nothing new,
it's been used as a stimulant for as long as we've been recording history (and
perhaps it's even the cause of us recording history).
 Caffeine
is not without its downside. Too much can make you jittery, anxious, unable to
sleep, and even paranoid. It increases the production of stomach acid and can
lead to an assortment of ailments. It's also addicting and those who drink
caffeine daily will suffer withdrawal symptoms if they can't get it. It has a
toxic dosage, but it's so high that death by caffeine is highly unlikely, if
not altogether impossible, unless consumed in its pure form. It is worth noting
that over a certain amount (the average being around 400 mgthree or four cups
of coffee), caffeine intoxication may occur, which is an unpleasant condition
that may include heart palpitations, irritability, anxiousness, and insomnia.
For more on caffeine and coffee, read
"Nutrition
911, Part VIII: Coffee—Friend or Foe?"
Inositol. I'm only
going to go into this ingredient enough to show why many ingredients are added
to supplements and drinksonly for show. Inositol, as a supplement, has some
promising science behind it, but you would need to drink approximately 350 Red
Bullsenough to kill you from caffeine intoxicationto get the dosage used in the
studies. Therefore, its inclusion here is to merely sound important. This is
similar to many "teas" and other convenience store elixirs that tout
important-sounding ingredients on the label but only contain trace amounts of
those ingredients.
How much?
 Here we refer to both the amount of ingredients and the cost of
such ingredients. Energy drinks are expensive and, given the amount you get of
each ingredient, you'd better really like the way they taste. If not, you're
being ripped off.
Let's start with sugar. First off,
sugar is not performance enhancing, so paying extra for it makes little sense.
If you want sugar, buy something that tastes good. Many energy drinks are also
made with artificial sweeteners which are exactly the same low-grade additives
that you can get in a can of Big K diet soda for 25 cents.
Caffeine is cheap, as is coffee, and
the average cup of coffee has three times more caffeine than the average energy
drink. There are whole Web sites set up to help you do the math on this. One
such site, Energyfiend.com, lists the milligrams of caffeine per ounce
contained in each energy drink. The more commercial brands, like Rockstar and
Red Bull, have far less than some of the more esoteric brands. But nothing,
except the one-ounce caffeine shots, beats a good old cup o' joe.
While the above-listed ingredients are
the flagship ingredients of promotion, they aren't added in amounts that are
effective. If you like the science behind taurine or inositol, you're better
off buying it in bulk and then drinking plain coffee or tea.
So will they give me wings?
While there is little doubt you will
gain a burst of energy from these drinks, it's unlikely to be sustained energy.
Furthermore, the type of rush you get will be followed with a crash that will
make you crave more. Because these have very little nutrient value, chances are
that consumption of more than a couple will leave you feeling edgy or downright
irritable.
 Energy drinks may have a place in your diet, but
with proper fueling and regular exercise, you are unlikely to need them
regularly, if ever. We tend to be low on energy because we make poor food
choices, sleep too little, exercise too little, and stress too much. No drug
can offset this behavior except during the short term. Energy drinks should be
nothing but an emergency solution.
And when you want to party like a
Rockstar?
A popular use of energy drinks is as a
cocktail mixer. Bars commonly promote such concoctions and energy drink
companies often sponsor social gatherings. While mixing stimulants and
depressants has been common among the partying sect for a long time, that
doesn't make it safe. A 2006 study found a possible link between energy drinks
and seizures, and research shows that combining heavy stimulants with heavy
depressants could lead to heart failure. Remember that all rock stars don't
make it through their partying years.
How to best enhance your energy
 Your
lifestyle has more to do with your energy level than anything else. Consistent
and intense exercise keeps your hormones working in balance and your body on an
even keel. A proper diet with plenty of fiber, protein, vitamins, and good
fatty acids that's supported by plenty of fresh water will give you long-term
sustained energy. Finally, getting ample sleep helps you recover from the
stress and breakdown of everyday life (read my
"10
Tips for Restful Sleep"). This is your real Pimp Juice if you want to keep
your Diesel engine going Full Throttle all day, even if you've got to catch a
Red Eye.
Sources
Lovett, Richard (24 September 2005). "Coffee: The demon
drink?". New Scientist (2518).; Escohotado, Antonio; Ken
Symington (May 1999). A Brief History of Drugs: From the Stone Age
to the Stoned Age. Park Street Press. ISBN 0-89281-826-3.; U.
Warskulat, et al. (2004). "Taurine transporter knockout depletes
muscle taurine levels and results in severe skeletal muscle impairment but
leaves cardiac function uncompromised". FASEB J.: 03-0496fje.
DOI:10.1096/fj.03-0496fje.; Oopik, V., et al. 2003; 37:
485-489.; Caffeine-related disorders. Encyclopedia of Mental
Disorders. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.; Y. Kamijo, et al.
(1999 Dec). "Severe rhabdomyolysis following massive ingestion of oolong tea:
caffeine intoxication with coexisting hyponatremia". Veterinary and Human
Toxicology 41 (6): 381-3. PMID 10592946.; S. Kerrigan; T.
Lindsey (2005). "Fatal caffeine overdose: two case reports".
Forensic Sci Int 153 (1): 67-9.; S.J.P. Iyadurai, S.S.
Chung (2006). "New-onset seizures in adults: Possible association with
consumption of popular energy drinks". Department of Neurology, Barrow
Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ;
Science Direct. Received 28 December 2006; revised 25 January 2007; accepted 26
January 2007; Available online 8 March 2007.
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